Malbec from Chateau Chantal is Still One of my Favorites!

Those that know me, know that I have really been diggin' Malbecs lately. I thought that I would go back to the wine that started my Malbec obsession and taste it again. When we were at Chateau Chantal in early July, I picked up a few bottles, so I was excited to uncork one this weekend.

It was their 2007 Malbec Reserve. You can't pick up a bottle without noticing the gorgeous label. The art is painted by Brazilian artist Ascal of Foraleza. The photo above does not do it justice. You must go out and see it in person. 

This wine is made of 100% Malbec grapes from the Lujan de Cuyo of Mendoza, Argentina. Chateau Chantal owns the vineyard. It is bottled and cellared at their facility on Old Mission Peninsula.

The color of this wine is deep dark purple. The edges have a red hue, as it climbs the side of my wine glass. The first smell that jumps out at me is a dark chocolate covered cherry. The wine is very aromatic, but not quite the explosion of fruitiness that many Malbecs throw off.

I taste burnt toast with a cherry jam when I drink it. Not a bad burnt toast, but more of a "its supposed to be burnt" kind of toast. Again, I get the dark red berries and cherries, but not as much as many Malbecs.

I don't think the tannins are really strong, but they definitely make the wine a more complex. The taste lingers on the back end of my tongue for a bit... which I really like.

Overall, this wine is great. I like it as much as when I first tried it a few years ago. At $16 per bottle, it is reasonably priced. I remember paying $15 for a glass of Malbec (I don't recall which winery produced it) at Lola's in Cleveland that turned out tasting like be a big glass of grape flavored Big League Chew. Compared to that, this is a bargain.

Not only is it a great wine, it is a unique offering from a Michigan winery. I would welcome your comments and impressions below.